NBA PLAYOFFS
Jimmy Butler scored 27 points and added 10 assists, Bam Adebayo finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds and the Miami Heat are a win away from their third trip to the Eastern Conference finals in the last four years by topping the New York Knicks 109-101. Max Strus scored 16, Kyle Lowry added 15 and Caleb Martin scored 10 for the Heat. Miami, the No. 8 seed, leads the East semifinal series 3-1, with Game 5 — and the first potential clincher — awaiting in New York tomorrow night at 7:30. Jalen Brunson finished with 32 points and 11 assists for fifth-seeded New York, while RJ Barrett scored 24 and Julius Randle scored 20 for the Knicks before fouling out with about three minutes left.
Lonnie Walker scored all of his 15 points in a phenomenal fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied late to take a 3-1 series lead with a 104-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 4. LeBron James scored 27 points and Anthony Davis had 23 points and 15 rebounds for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who moved to the brink of an improbable trip to the Western Conference finals with their eighth consecutive home victory since March. Los Angeles overcame Stephen Curry’s third career postseason triple-double down the stretch largely because of Walker. Game 5 is tomorrow night at 10 in San Francisco.
The home team has won every game in the second-round series between the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns. The Nuggets are looking to keep the trend going in Game 5 tonight at 10 p.m. Philadelphia also plays Celtics tonight in Boston at 7:30 with that series tied at 2-all as well. It's not surprise that Phoenix standouts Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are turning in big performances. Same with the Nuggets in Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, whose 53-point performance in a 129-124 loss Sunday was overshadowed by a sideline fracas with Suns owner Mat Ishbia. It’s the X-factors who are helping swing the series.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for making improper contact in the stands with Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia. Jokic was not suspended. The two-time NBA MVP is all set for Game 5 on Tuesday night in Denver. The second-round series is tied at 2-2 after both teams won at home. It was almost the outcome Ishbia was hoping for. On his Twitter account Monday, Ishbia praised his team’s performance and urged no further disciplinary action. Jokic defended his actions after a game in which he had 53 points and 11 assists.
NHL PLAYOFFS
Jonathan Marchessault scored his first two goals of the playoffs, Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 for a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series. Zach Whitecloud and Chandler Stephenson also scored for Vegas. Laurent Brossoit left at 11:44 of the first period after turning away three of four shots. Adin Hill came on and stopped all 25 shots he saw. Warren Foegele scored the first goal of the game for Edmonton before the Golden Knights countered with five. Stuart Skinner was pulled in the second period after giving up four goals on 23 shots. Jack Campbell replaced him and made nine saves. Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is in Edmonton Wednesday night, followed by Game 5 on Friday night at Las Vegas.
The Chicago Blackhawks have won the NHL draft lottery and the right to select Connor Bedard with the first pick. Chicago had the third-highest odds of winning it at 11.5%. Bedard is considered the top draft-eligible prospect available since Connor McDavid in 2015. Bedard's 72 goals and 143 points with Regina of the Western Hockey League were the most of any junior hockey player in Canada. League-worst Anaheim won the lottery to pick second and choose among forwards Adam Fantilli from Canada, Matvei Michkov from Russia and Leo Carlsson from Sweden at the draft June 28 in Nashville.
Meanwhile, Carolina is at New Jersey to take on the Devils in game 4 tonight at 7. The Hurricanes lead the series 2-1.
Dallas is in Seattle to take on the Kraken in game 4 tonight at 9:30. The Kraken lead the series 2-1.
MLB
Aaron Hicks broke out of his season-long slump with a two-run homer and the New York Yankees went deep four times to beat the Oakland Athletics 7-2. Gleyber Torres hit a tiebreaking solo drive in the sixth inning against former Yankees lefty JP Sears. Oswaldo Cabrera and DJ LeMahieu launched two-run shots off Sears as New York improved to 19-17. Hicks doubled his season RBI total when he homered in the seventh for the first time since Sept. 23 — his second extra-base hit this year. He began the night batting .143 overall and was 0 for 19 at Yankee Stadium before connecting. The Yankees won for the fourth time in 10 games without slugger Aaron Judge, who is expected back Tuesday from a strained right hip.
Elsewhere, the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox were off last night. The Mets face Cincinnati tonight at 6:40. The Red Sox start a two-game series against Atlanta tonight at 7:10.
Mitch Keller pitched his first career complete game and Rodolfo Castro hit a two-run homer as the Pittsburgh Pirates snapped their seven-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Keller shut out the Rockies on four hits while striking out eight and walking one in a game that took just 1 hour, 55 minutes. The fifth-year veteran had never pitched into the eighth inning before. Castro’s homer off Kyle Freeland in the seventh carried into the bullpens in center field and broke a scoreless tie.
GOLF
Attorneys for golf superstar Tiger Woods will soon be in court in an attempt to halt a lawsuit his ex-girlfriend filed against him. The attorneys are expected to argue in a Florida court Tuesday that Erica Herman signed a nondisclosure agreement with the golfer requiring that any disagreement between the two must be decided by an arbitrator in private. Herman is arguing that the contract should be thrown out. She was working as the manager of his Florida restaurant when their romantic relationship began. She says she signed the agreement under duress because he threatened to fire her if she didn't. His lawyers deny that.
NCAA
West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has apologized for using a homophobic slur to refer to Xavier fans while also denigrating Catholics. Huggins is a former longtime coach at Cincinnati, Xavier’s crosstown rival. During a call to a Cincinnati radio station Monday, Huggins was asked whether he had a chance of landing a Xavier player from the transfer portal. Huggins referred to rubber penises thrown on the court at Xavier before he used a homophobic slur. Huggins later apologized and said he “used a completely insensitive and abhorrent phrase that there is simply no excuse for." West Virginia’s athletic department called Huggins’ comments “offensive” and said it's reviewing the matter.
The University of Iowa says 26 athletes across five sports are suspected of wagering on sports in violation of NCAA rules and more than 100 people have been linked to an investigation. Iowa State acknowledged about 15 of its athletes across three sports also are suspected of violating gambling rules. Last week, Alabama fired baseball coach Brad Bohannon following a report of suspicious bets made at an Ohio casino involving his team. NCAA rules prohibit athletes, coaches and staff from betting on amateur, collegiate and professional sports in which the NCAA conducts a championship.
WESTMINSTER DOG SHOW
It could be the day for the petit basset griffon Vendéen named for Buddy Holly. Or the Pekingese could notch his breed’s third Westminster Kennel Club dog show win in little over a decade. And what about the French bulldog that nearly won last year? Or will the best in show ribbon go to ... Ribbon? Buddy Holly the PBGV, Rummie the Peke, Winston the Frenchie and Ribbon the Australian shepherd are headed to the Westminster Kennel Club dog show finals Tuesday, along with three other finalists yet to be chosen.
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